GE’s Water & Process Technologies is collaborating with a Canadian university on a research initiative to maximise renewable energy generation and simultaneously produce a pathogen-free biosolids fertiliser.

The new pilot is located at the Southern Ontario Water Consortium (SOWC) wastewater demonstration facility adjacent to the city of Guelph wastewater treatment plant, and operated together with the government, the University of Guelph, and GE.

The pilot is the first large-scale project to receive funding under the SOWC’s Advancing Water Technologies (AWT) programme, which supports collaborative, industry-led technology development projects.

SOWC is funded by the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario, with the AWT programme supplying nearly C$600,000 (€427,000) to collaborators for this project.

In addition, GE is investing C$900,000 in infrastructure and support.

“This first large AWT project epitomises what SOWC is all about,” said SOWC executive director Brenda Lucas.

“We are connecting the needs of industry with Ontario’s academic expertise and enabling real-world testing in unique facilities to help bring innovative technologies to market.”

GE’s goal is to shift wastewater treatment from a burden to an opportunity where valuable resources can be extracted – namely renewable energy, clean water, and fertiliser.